Lamar head coach Pat Knight shouts to his players during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Kansas State, Monday, Nov. 12, 2012, in Manhattan, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Photo: Charlie Riedel, STF

Kansas State's Omari Lawrence passes the ball to a teammate during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Lamar, Monday, Nov. 12, 2012, in Manhattan, Kan. Kansas State won 79-55. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Photo: Charlie Riedel, STF

Lamar men's basketball recently played five games in nine days, all away from home. And, after a single practice Friday at the Montagne Center, Lamar (1-4) boarded another airport-bound bus Saturday to play games today at Arkansas State (3-1) and Tuesday at Alabama (5-0).

"You don't get to rest enough," said Blanks, a freshman guard. "You've got to be ready every night. It's hard to describe."

Lamar has seven scholarship newcomers, including five freshmen. The travel is something they must get accustomed to.

Lamar has travelled an estimated 4,625 miles in the air and 988 miles by bus to play games this season at Kansas State, Charlotte and Virginia.

By the time Lamar plays additional games at Purdue, Louisiana-Lafayette, Baylor and Texas-Pan American, the Cardinals will have travelled more than 10,000 miles when it returns home from the last of 11 straight games away from home to open the season.

By then, the Cardinals will have boarded 11 airplanes to travel 7,033 miles and a bus 20 times for 3,202 miles. That's an estimated 15 hours in planes and 65 hours in buses.

Some flights have been delayed by weather, mechanical issues and a child vomiting in the cabin, Lamar assistant coach Clif Carroll said.

"It was pretty hard keeping up with schoolwork," Lamar freshman guard Rhon Mitchell said of the recent trip. "Kind of hard on your body. You've got to get a lot of rest."

Senior guard Donley Minor considered the recent road trips similar to the six Lamar played in a seven-game stretch early in his freshman season. That 2009 stretch ended with games in Denver and Hawaii.

"A lot of us already are far away from home," said Minor, a Los Angeles native. "Then we have to go someplace else. That's probably the biggest thing. Then when you go out there you have to adjust to the climate.

"When you watch it on TV, you don't know (if) there's ice under the gym floor. It's freezing sometimes when we go play. You can't worry about that. You have to play through."

Opportunities to hold practices between the travelling and games are limited. Lamar coach Pat Knight said resting can be more important than practices.

"You've just got to use common sense," Knight said. "Do you need to have that extra shootaround just to make yourself feel better, or is it better to just let the guys rest at the hotel?"

Lamar had signed contracts to play several preconference road games before the Southland Conference expanded the league schedule from 16 games to 18 for this season. That reduced the number of openings in the schedule for Lamar to play at home. Lamar figures to have at least three or four preconference home games next season. This season, the home opener is Dec. 29 against LIU-Brooklyn. The conference season starts Jan. 3 with another road game, at Stephen F. Austin.

Lamar lost its first four games before it beat IUPUI 86-82 Tuesday in the final game of the NIT Season Tip-Off in Charlottesville, Va. Lamar trailed by nine with about 5 minutes left and rallied. Several freshmen contributed, including Donnell Minton, whose six free throws in the final minutes sealed the win.

With seven scholarship newcomers, the main benefit to long road trips could be the time spent together. Blanks and Minton each have lugged video game systems - a PS3 for Minton and an Xbox 360 for Blanks - for Call of Duty and NBA 2K13 tournaments in their hotel rooms.

"It's just good when the guys hang out together all in one or two rooms," Knight said. "That's what it's about. You don't want to get to the point where guys are hanging out separately. It's good to see everybody hanging out together."

Free throws

Arkansas State is the second-most common opponent for Lamar, behind McNeese State. Lamar is 46-34 vs. Arkansas State. They play at 2 p.m. today. ... Lamar has won five of the last six meetings vs. Arkansas State, including a 65-62 win last season at home. Lamar lost the last game at Arkansas State, 78-75 two seasons ago. ... Arkansas State is coming off a 73-72 win at Central Arkansas on Wednesday.